McCoy was born on January 6, 1940, in Washington, D.C. the second child of Norman S. McCoy, Sr. and Lillian Ray, and grew up there. He started to play piano at a young age and sang with the Metropolitan Baptist Church choir as a kid, and was writing his own songs in addition to performing in local amateur shows alongside older brother, Norman Jr., by the time he was 12.

Van McCoy

The two formed a doo-wop combo called the Starlighters with two friends while in high school, and issued the single "The Birdland", a novelty dance record, in 1956, gaining some interest that led to their touring with drummer Vi Burnsides.

The Starlighters cut three singles for End in 1959. Marriage and other things would eventually cause the group to disband in the mid-1950s. He also sang with a group called the Marylanders.